Welcoming a New Employee
15 September 2008
Read by 1906 persons
Successfully integrating a new employee involves a process that starts before their arrival and continues afterwards. Here are ten tips to ensure everything goes smoothly.
To optimize the chances of motivating and encouraging the engagement of a new employee from the start without destabilizing the existing team, a step-by-step approach is necessary. Here is the advice of Claude Desbordes, director of consulting at Mastership, a management training and consulting firm.
Mobilize resources
The first step, even before your new employee arrives, is to put the necessary resources in place: telephone line, workstation, office, computer, internet connection if needed... etc. This step may seem trivial, but it sometimes happens that everything is not ready, which creates a bad impression on the newcomer and constitutes a waste of time for the company. Therefore, plan the necessary time by contacting the people in charge of the installation, and make sure that everything is ready on time.
Announce their arrival
Properly integrating a new employee means announcing their presence in the company, both internally and externally. Before the big day, make sure that the newcomer is included in the company directory, the organizational chart on the company's intranet or internet site. Inform the team of their arrival, their position and function, so that they are not surprised and caught off guard. For new managers or executives with responsibilities, a press release may be useful.
Take time to welcome them
As a manager or supervisor, block out a time slot, an hour or two, or even more, or even lunch, to build a relationship with the newcomer. "Contrary to what one might think at first glance," emphasizes Claude Desbordes, "this is not a waste of time because this investment will pay off in the short and long term. There are many details that the person will not come back to." If you don't take the necessary time for their welcome, you will be solicited several times later.
Reset their senses
"During this time necessary for the start," notes Claude Desbordes, "it is necessary to reset the employee's sensory perception of the situation they are in." In short, go over the things discussed and explained during the recruitment interview: visit of the establishment, company atmosphere, their vision, their activities, etc... "All so that the person is alert."
Review the scope of the position
Then, it is important to redefine your new employee's territory and the motivating factors. You will discuss the richness of the position and function, their mission and role in the company, their commitment. Lastly, you will set objectives over a certain horizon, six months, one year... Claude Desbordes notes that at the end of this meeting, "the newcomer should feel like a fish in water." These last two steps - resetting the senses and defining the scope of the position - allow the newcomer to re-check what they want and whether the position is in line with their expectations.
Avoid procedures
Too often companies give new arrivals a welcome booklet, albeit a well-made one, and leave the latter to fend for themselves by saying: "Read it, you'll understand". However, "this is far from the best way to make someone aware of the stakes of their mission," intervenes Claude Desbordes. Sometimes integration procedures are named, but do not really exist. And too many managers still rely on concepts, texts or processes."
Introduce them to their colleagues
Don't introduce the team too early, as this avoids potentially delicate situations. "Often, the arrival day of a new member has not been announced," observes Claude Desbordes, "which excludes the newcomer from an integration dynamic because no one is expecting them." If you have opted for a day dedicated to the new employee with a welcome in the morning, an informal and relaxed lunch at midday, suggest that they meet in the afternoon the people they will be working with, including the general manager if the opportunity arises and the heads of departments.
"An individual's sociability is not achieved in two minutes in the morning when they arrive, cold," warns Claude Desbordes. "The newcomer needs acclimatization and security." Therefore, do not skip or reverse the steps of the welcome or integration. "Afterwards, but only afterwards, they will be able to exchange freely with other members of the company, arriving on the second day secure and confident. Emotions play an important role and we remember them years later."
Involve the team
Don't be omnipresent either, and don't rush a lunch with the team and yourself. Let your employee find their feet in the team, and let the team get to know them on their own. It is important to be considerate of your colleagues, who also see a stranger arriving in their daily lives. Also know how to delegate and involve your team: feedback on the integration and work of the new employee, and support if they need advice or information.
Ensure follow-up
In the early days at least, you must remain supportive of the new employee in case they have questions or encounter problems. Don't hesitate to tell them "my door is always open...", knowing that the team members are also there. "At the beginning, check once a day if everything is going well, for example in the morning at the coffee break," advises Claude Desbordes. There is no need to formalize the appointment. "After a week, conduct a debriefing, in particular to assess your employee's situation - what is working or not, training needs - or even to reframe them."
Mobilize them
There is no point in welcoming a new recruit well if you have not planned the first tasks that fall to them. Of course, it is necessary to give them time to acclimatize, to familiarize themselves with the various sources of information in the company, productions and reports, procedures...etc. A substantial task allows them to be actively integrated into the company. A smaller task, on the other hand, allows for a quick evaluation of the work done and therefore the next step: to fully enter their mission, or to train them.
Posted on September 15, 2008
mastership.fr
To optimize the chances of motivating and encouraging the engagement of a new employee from the start without destabilizing the existing team, a step-by-step approach is necessary. Here is the advice of Claude Desbordes, director of consulting at Mastership, a management training and consulting firm.
Mobilize resources
The first step, even before your new employee arrives, is to put the necessary resources in place: telephone line, workstation, office, computer, internet connection if needed... etc. This step may seem trivial, but it sometimes happens that everything is not ready, which creates a bad impression on the newcomer and constitutes a waste of time for the company. Therefore, plan the necessary time by contacting the people in charge of the installation, and make sure that everything is ready on time.
Announce their arrival
Properly integrating a new employee means announcing their presence in the company, both internally and externally. Before the big day, make sure that the newcomer is included in the company directory, the organizational chart on the company's intranet or internet site. Inform the team of their arrival, their position and function, so that they are not surprised and caught off guard. For new managers or executives with responsibilities, a press release may be useful.
Take time to welcome them
As a manager or supervisor, block out a time slot, an hour or two, or even more, or even lunch, to build a relationship with the newcomer. "Contrary to what one might think at first glance," emphasizes Claude Desbordes, "this is not a waste of time because this investment will pay off in the short and long term. There are many details that the person will not come back to." If you don't take the necessary time for their welcome, you will be solicited several times later.
Reset their senses
"During this time necessary for the start," notes Claude Desbordes, "it is necessary to reset the employee's sensory perception of the situation they are in." In short, go over the things discussed and explained during the recruitment interview: visit of the establishment, company atmosphere, their vision, their activities, etc... "All so that the person is alert."
Review the scope of the position
Then, it is important to redefine your new employee's territory and the motivating factors. You will discuss the richness of the position and function, their mission and role in the company, their commitment. Lastly, you will set objectives over a certain horizon, six months, one year... Claude Desbordes notes that at the end of this meeting, "the newcomer should feel like a fish in water." These last two steps - resetting the senses and defining the scope of the position - allow the newcomer to re-check what they want and whether the position is in line with their expectations.
Avoid procedures
Too often companies give new arrivals a welcome booklet, albeit a well-made one, and leave the latter to fend for themselves by saying: "Read it, you'll understand". However, "this is far from the best way to make someone aware of the stakes of their mission," intervenes Claude Desbordes. Sometimes integration procedures are named, but do not really exist. And too many managers still rely on concepts, texts or processes."
Introduce them to their colleagues
Don't introduce the team too early, as this avoids potentially delicate situations. "Often, the arrival day of a new member has not been announced," observes Claude Desbordes, "which excludes the newcomer from an integration dynamic because no one is expecting them." If you have opted for a day dedicated to the new employee with a welcome in the morning, an informal and relaxed lunch at midday, suggest that they meet in the afternoon the people they will be working with, including the general manager if the opportunity arises and the heads of departments.
"An individual's sociability is not achieved in two minutes in the morning when they arrive, cold," warns Claude Desbordes. "The newcomer needs acclimatization and security." Therefore, do not skip or reverse the steps of the welcome or integration. "Afterwards, but only afterwards, they will be able to exchange freely with other members of the company, arriving on the second day secure and confident. Emotions play an important role and we remember them years later."
Involve the team
Don't be omnipresent either, and don't rush a lunch with the team and yourself. Let your employee find their feet in the team, and let the team get to know them on their own. It is important to be considerate of your colleagues, who also see a stranger arriving in their daily lives. Also know how to delegate and involve your team: feedback on the integration and work of the new employee, and support if they need advice or information.
Ensure follow-up
In the early days at least, you must remain supportive of the new employee in case they have questions or encounter problems. Don't hesitate to tell them "my door is always open...", knowing that the team members are also there. "At the beginning, check once a day if everything is going well, for example in the morning at the coffee break," advises Claude Desbordes. There is no need to formalize the appointment. "After a week, conduct a debriefing, in particular to assess your employee's situation - what is working or not, training needs - or even to reframe them."
Mobilize them
There is no point in welcoming a new recruit well if you have not planned the first tasks that fall to them. Of course, it is necessary to give them time to acclimatize, to familiarize themselves with the various sources of information in the company, productions and reports, procedures...etc. A substantial task allows them to be actively integrated into the company. A smaller task, on the other hand, allows for a quick evaluation of the work done and therefore the next step: to fully enter their mission, or to train them.
Posted on September 15, 2008
mastership.fr
